Description

Alken (Henry) The National Sports of Great Britain, large paper copy, 50 fine hand-coloured soft-ground etchings by and after Alken, tissue guards, 2 preliminary leaves and first plate ('The Race Horse') torn across and neatly repaired, some light spotting or soiling, mostly marginal, modern half red morocco over marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments with green morocco label, by Bernard Middleton 2011, [cf. Tooley 43, 8vo edition], folio, Thomas M'Lean, 1825 [text watermarked 1822, plates 1822-25].

Very rare large paper copy of the first edition with these plates. A previous work was published under the same title in 1821 but contained different plates and those were aquatints. It is more usually found in Royal 8vo format. The work includes scenes of horse-racing, hunting, coursing, shooting, angling, dog-fighting, cock-fighting, and bull-, bear- & badger-baiting, but is notable for Alken's preface which condemns the baiting of animals, depicted in the last few plates. The only plate not including animals is of prize-fighting.

Lot 5

Alken (Henry) The National Sports of Great Britain, large paper copy, 50 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings, modern half red morocco, spine gilt, folio, Thomas M'Lean, 1825.  

Hammer Price: £1,200

Description

Alken (Henry) The National Sports of Great Britain, large paper copy, 50 fine hand-coloured soft-ground etchings by and after Alken, tissue guards, 2 preliminary leaves and first plate ('The Race Horse') torn across and neatly repaired, some light spotting or soiling, mostly marginal, modern half red morocco over marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments with green morocco label, by Bernard Middleton 2011, [cf. Tooley 43, 8vo edition], folio, Thomas M'Lean, 1825 [text watermarked 1822, plates 1822-25].

Very rare large paper copy of the first edition with these plates. A previous work was published under the same title in 1821 but contained different plates and those were aquatints. It is more usually found in Royal 8vo format. The work includes scenes of horse-racing, hunting, coursing, shooting, angling, dog-fighting, cock-fighting, and bull-, bear- & badger-baiting, but is notable for Alken's preface which condemns the baiting of animals, depicted in the last few plates. The only plate not including animals is of prize-fighting.

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